L.S. Kim: Maid for Television


cover of Maid for Television depicting image of asian woman in short hair wearing a maid outfit

Race, Class, Gender, and a Representational Economy

MAID FOR TELEVISION examines race, class, and gender relations as embodied in a long history of television servants from 1950 to the turn of the millennium.

Although they reside at the visual peripheries, these figures are integral to the idealized American family. MAID FOR TELEVISION tells the stories of servants and the families they work for, in so doing it investigates how Americans have dealt with difference through television as a medium and a mediator. Author L.S. KIM redirects the viewer’s gaze towards the usually overlooked interface between characters, which is drawn through race, class, and gender positioning. And the book philosophically redirects the gaze of television and its projection of racial discourse.

Last modified: Sep 10, 2024